Do you ever feel sensitivity in your teeth doing everyday things like drinking ice water or eating hot soup? If your answer is yes, you might be like many of our patients who experience daily overall tooth sensitivity. What you may not know is that your choice of toothpaste may be making tooth sensitivity better or worse!
When patients in our office raise concerns over their general dental sensivity – especially at those areas of tooth structure near the gumline where recession has occurred, exposing root structure – Dr. Messina or Rachel may ask which toothpaste is being used most frequently at home. Depending on how abrasive the paste of choice is, we may make a different recommendation for our patient to experience some relief without even changing any other habit.
Different toothpastes can very widely in their level of abrasiveness, and they are not usually clearly labeled for how abrasive they are. This can be confusing, and we’re here to help!
Our office regularly recommends Sensodyne Pronamel toothpaste for our patients with sensitive teeth, recession, and/or root exposure, because it is non-abrasive and because it also has the added benefit of helping guard against the daily effects of acid erosion. It strengthens and rehardens weakened enamel for lasting relief from sensitivity and ongoing protection against acid wear.
Because much of the food and drinks we enjoy in a modern Western diet (such as soft drinks, sports drinks, tea, tomatoes and citrus fruit, to name a few) contain acids that can wear away the hard enamel coating of our teeth, anti-acid protection in our toothpaste is more important now than ever. Continued and unchecked acid erosion of the dentition can leave the nerves exposed, contributing to ever greater tooth sensitivity that is then made worse when any type of abrasive paste is applied. What’s more, acid erosion makes teeth more prone to cavities and to discoloration.
A regular oral health care routine is essential for helping to strengthen tooth enamel and protect against erosion. This includes brushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste – ideally one that is non-abrasive and has been specially designed to help protect your tooth enamel from further damage, like Pronamel. You can find this toothpaste at any major drug store or supermarket.
If you’re unsure as to whether your favorite toothpaste is abrasive or not, bring it to your next visit at our office and ask Dr. Messina or Rachel. Our entire team is committed to evidence-based practice of dentistry, and it is our pleasure to help you obtain quality information. We are proud of our practice's 40+ year history of helping our Front Range friends and neighbors make the most informed decisions for their oral and overall health, and we are here to serve you!
We write a blog post every month to keep our patients and our community updated on important dental topics, so be sure to check back here often! And don't forget: we love your questions! We welcome discussion of these blog topics or anything you're curious about. Our patient family is the best part of our practice, and we are grateful for you!